“Now that we have been able to bring Rajiv van La Parra to the club earlier than we believed we could, we have six loanees.

“I can only pick five in the matchday squad, plus I’d prefer to work with the players who we know are here for the long term.

“Brighton also has a great chance of promotion to the Premier League, so Chris wants all his players fit, healthy and available to play for them.

“When you add this up, it makes the most sense for Elvis to return to Brighton. He leaves with our thanks and best wishes for the future.”

Manu’s last appearance for Town was in the 2-0 defeat at Derby County, since when he was left out because of an internal disciplinary matter and, latterly, because he returned to Holland to deal with a family emergency.